Ready to make you ‘be•You•tiful’

WHEELING – Alana Burkle and her staff at be?You?tiful Hair and Nail Spa in Wheeling are ready to make their customers just that … beautiful.

But the concept of beauty doesn’t just end with the company name or the state that its customers exit the building. The concept is evident in the Shabby Chic motif of the design and remodeling of the former dance studio.

“We want to offer a relaxing, welcoming environment,” said Burkle of her spa at 96 Washington Avenue in Wheeling. “Our waiting room was key. We wanted a place where people could come, relax, have a cup of coffee and hang out.”

It’s not just another place to get your hair and nails done. Far from it.

Situated across the street from Avenue Eats and the Wheeling Coffee Shoppe, it forms a triangle of related activity for customers who wish to spend the day relaxing, being pampered, eating good food and enjoying quality conversation.

With that in mind, it’s no coincidence that Burkle is good Friends with Avenue Eats co-owner Lara Graves.

Like Burkle, Graves and Avenue Eats co-owner Phillip Kendall took a chic approach in their decorating.

The cabinets for the hair stations at be?You?tiful are refurbished doors. The are numerous other touches.

The waiting room is a welcoming area designed to foster relaxation and conversation.

There are comfy chairs and places to sit. A nearby magazine rack provides reading material. Fresh coffee is brewed daily. A digital fireplace virtual flickers upon the wall.

Burkle and her coworkers Michelle Tolbert and Leslie Hodgson all previously worked together at another salon in the area.

But when the opportunity presented itself for Burkle to strike out on her own, she couldn’t pass it up.

“We all worked together at another salon,” Burkle said. “I figured it was time to go out on my own so when the opportunity became available, I ran with it.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Burkle and Tolbert are available for both hair and nail appointments while Hodgson is the nail specialist.

Since there are only three employees so far, Burkle accepting customers by appointment now.

As the employee roster expands, walk-ins will be more than welcome.

Burkle is also looking to expand inside the facility’s ample basement. She’s just looking for the right combination of offerings before making further renovations.

“It’s in process,” Burkle said. “There could be an area for massages, facials, spray-tanning … there are a couple of rooms down there but we want to see what will work best.”

Massage could be a real possibility as Burkle noted a few licensed therapists have already inquired about joining her crew.